Tax fair ends, NBR collects record Tk 2,469cr

Thousands of taxpayers throng the income tax fair to submit tax returns and get other tax-related services at Officers’ Club in Dhaka, the central venue of the nationwide fair, on Monday, the concluding day of the weeklong fair. — New Age photo

The countrywide weeklong income tax fair organised by National Board of Revenue ended on Monday with the tax authorities receiving overwhelming response from taxpayers and setting new record in terms of tax collection.NBR received Tk 2,469 crore in income tax from 4.88 lakh taxpayers who filed their tax returns at the fair venues across the country including the central one set up at Officers’ Club in Dhaka.The number of taxpayers, amount of tax collection and service recipients in seven days of fairs across the country that began on November 13 exceeded the figures of last year.The tax authorities had collected Tk 2,217 crore from 3.35 lakh taxpayers in last year’s fair.Both tax collection and returns submission rose by 11.35 per cent and 45 per cent respectively this year, said NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.The number of service receivers also rose by 40 per cent to 16.36 lakh this year from that of 11.70 lakh of previous year, he said at a press briefing held at Officers’ Club after the end of the fair.Some 39,743 new taxpayers also obtained electronic taxpayers’ identification numbers from the fair venues at eight divisional cities, 56 districts and 72 upazilas.The NBR chairman said that 1,160 taxpayers paid Tk 1.46 crore in income tax online while 3,770 taxpayers filed their tax returns online.NBR first organised the fair in 2010 to encourage people in paying tax and disseminating the importance of income tax in national development.Taxpayers from different socio-economic groups thronged the fair venues on Monday for filing tax returns and paying taxes.On the day, taxpayers were seen waiting in long queues at Dhaka venue for filing tax returns and receiving tax-related services.Mosharraf said that taxpayers would be able to file their returns and pay taxes till November 30, the last day of tax returns submission.He said that tax officials would maintain ‘fair atmosphere’ in providing tax-related services at tax offices.NBR will also observe November 30 as Tax Day.